Foldable bulkhead for a railroad flatcar



Se t. 2, 1969 E. J. CORDANI 3 FOLDABLE BULKHEAD FOR A RAILROAD FLATCAR Filed Nov. 8, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 x 1 I s I I I 1 L an x: Q 9 E Q F N I l x l I \I- I INVENTOR.

EUGENE J. CORDANI a2 ATTORNEY Sept. 2, 1969 E. J. CORDANI FOLDABLB BULKHEAD FOR A RAILROAD FLA'ICAR Filed Nov. 8. 19s? 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2.

Sept. 2, 1969 I E. J. CORDANI FOLDABLE BULKHEAD FOR A RAILROAD FLATCAR Filed Nov. 8, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3.

p 1969 E. J.- CORDAN! 3,464,368

FOLDABLE BULKHEAD FOR A RAILROAD FLATCAR Filed Nov. 8, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I H a I H 'I n i l I i: 1' Ill/:8 H II II Al I] II II IF Sept. 2, 1969 E. J. CORDANI FOLDABLE BULKHEAD FOR A RAILROAD FLATCAR 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 8, 1967 Unite 1 3,464,368 FOLDABLE BULKHEAD FOR A RAILROAD FLATCAR Eugene J. Cordaui, Florissant, Mo., assiguor to ACE Industries Incorporated, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Nov. 8, 1967, Ser. No. 681,408 Int. Cl. B61d 45/00, 17/00 US. Cl. 105-369 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Background of the invention Railway flatcars used for hauling containers may also be used for other types of lading for which it is desirable that the car have bulkheads near each end. One type of container hauling car has very low pedestals for receiving the four corners of each container. Protrusions above the deck of the car must be of minimum heights to permit carrying containers of the maximum height. Nevertheless, it is desirable, for the sake of versatility, to provide container cars with bulkheads. The present invention makes this feasible by providing bulkheads which are foldable closesly adjacent the deck of the car, so that the height of a folded bulkhead is no greater than the height of the corner pedestals for the containers. Braces for the bulkhead are formed so that they can be placed in channels or recesses in the bulkhead and not extend above it when it is lying on the deck of the car.

Description of the invention The invention provides bulkheads at the ends of a flatcar equipped to carry containers. The bulkheads are hinged to the deck of the car slightly inwardly of the container pedestals near the ends of the car, to permit them to be pivoted downwardly toward the center of the car from upright positions. A pair of inclined braces are pivotally connected to the bulkhead and to the deck, and converge from the bulkhead to the deck. The bulkhead is formed with a pair of converging channels which strengthen the lower half of the bulkhead and also provide recesses in which the braces are adapted to nest. The braces include a pivot near their upper ends which permits them to be swung laterally from their operative position to their nesting position.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description and the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of the railway car showing corner pedestals for supporting a container with the dotted line indication of the bulkheads showing the bulkheads in folded position on the deck;

FIGURE 2 is an end elevation of the railway car showing the bulkhead in raised position;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation of the bulkhead in raised position;

FIGURE 4 is a top plan of the bulkhead shown folded on the deck with the struts being received in the recesses;

FIGURE 5 is a section taken along 5--5 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 6 is a section taken along line 66 of FIG- URE 2;

States Patent FIGURE 7 is a plan of the strut;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of the strut shown in FIGURE 7; and

FIGURE 9 is a fragment of FIGURE 3 showing the pivot for the bulkhead.

The railroad fiatcar 10 shown in FIG. 1, if designed for hauling two containers, may be equipped with sets of container supporting pedestals 12, shown in dashed lines. At each end of the car is a bulkhead 14 having a pair of braces 16, 18. The bulkheads are pivotally connected to the deck of the car and can be laid flat on the deck in the positions 20'. The braces are connected to the bulkheads at their upper ends 22 and to the deck at their lower ends 24. The bulkheads may be as wide as the car and have a height as required, for example, about thirteen feet. The bulkheads are preferably positioned inwardly of the container pedestals 12 at the ends of the car, so that they will lie entirely under the containers in their folded down positions.

Each bulkhead 14 is a frame formed of a number of channels, such as 30-34, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, brackets 36, weld plates 38-42, and other structural members, as shown. Channels 43, 44, similar in form to channel 34, extend from the bottom of the latter to channels 30 at the outer edges of the bulkhead and are suitably welded to plate 42 and channels 30 and 31, and other members, as shown in FIG. 2. Channels 43 and 44 open rearwardly and extend about half way up the bulkhead, and it is evident that they serve, together with other structural elements, to rigidify the lower part of the bulkhead. The front side of the bulkhead does not need a facing for many types of lading, but if desired the front of the bulkhead may be covered with expanded metal, although other facings such as a solid sheet may also be used.

Referring to channel 43, it is connected to the upper link 46 of brace 16 by pivot pin 48 extending through hole 50 (FIGS. 7 and 8). Pins 52 pivotally connects link 46 to the remainder of brace 16. The lower end 54 of the brace is pivotally connected to lugs 56 on the deck of the car. When the bulkhead is folded against the deck brace 16 is released from lugs 56, by removing pivot pin 58, and the brace is swung into recess 60 of channel 43. Brace 18 is similar to brace 16 and is storable in recess 61 of channel 44. The braces in their stored positions are shown in FIG. 4.

The hinged connection of the bulkhead to the deck includes an angle bar 62 having gussets 64 and fixed to the deck. Lugs 66 are fixed to the vertical flange of angle bar 62, and a pivot pin 68 extends through lug 66 and a pair of similar lugs 70, 72 fixed to the bulkhead to form a hinge. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, five such hinges are provided. Lugs 70, 72 are fixed to plate 74, which extends across the bottom of the bulkhead and is fixed thereto, as by welding to vertical plates 76, 78. When the bulkhead is raised to its vertical position plate 74 abuts angle bar 62 to prevent the bulkhead from moving appreciably beyond its vertical position. The dashed lines in FIG. 9 show the lower end of bulkhead 14 in its horizontal position on the deck of the car.

It is apparent that the invention makes a fiatcar for containers more adaptable for ladings requiring bulk heads, such at stacked crates, automobile frames, etc., without handicapping the car in the hauling of containers. The weight of the bulkhead is reducedby its open frame construction and, if desired, the use of light materials, such as aluminum. Also, the wind resistance of the bulkheads is not excessive. To assist in lifting the bulkhead and hold it vertically one or more of its hinges may be a suitable spring hinge, if desired. Other obvious expedients will be apparent to those skilled in the are. For example, the car may be provided with suitable means 3 for fastening the bulkhead to the deck when the bulkhead is collapsed. Thus, the invention is not to be construed as limited except as defined in the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a railroad flat car, having a bulkhead at each end of the car, pivot means fastened to the deck of the car and the bottom of the bulkhead, for enabling the bulkhead to be pivoted from an upright vertical position, in which said bulkhead extends transversely across the deck of the car, forwardly to a horizontal position adjacent the deck; a pair of inclined braces pivotally connected at their upper-ends to the bulkhead and extending rearwardly therefrom; means for pivotally connecting the lower end of said braces releasably to the deck, said bulkhead having a pair of downwardly converging recesses in the rear side thereof extending from the upper ends of said braces to the bottom of the bulkhead, said recesses being dimensioned to receive said braces, each of said braces including a relatively short upper portion and a relatively long lower portion hinged to the upper portion for swinging transversely of the car, said upper portion of the braces being in alignment with the recesses of the bulkhead, whereby the bulkheads 4 have a minimum height above the deck when stowed horizontally thereon.

2. A railroad car according to claim 1, wherein said braces converge from top to bottom and said recesses converge to a greater degree than said braces when the bulkhead and braces are in their upright operative position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,304,023 5/ 1919 Coleman 105-374 1,499,229 6/ 1924 Laffey.

1,570,020 1/1926 Welsh.

2,149,015 2/1939 Giddings 105376 X 2,407,091 9/ 1946 McMullen.

2,514,466 7/ 1950 Bildhauer.

2,978,993 4/1961 Hall 105-374 3,177,007 4/ 1965 Oren 280179 DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 105-376 

